YP Letters

TO see Sir Vince Cable with EU Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt on the campaign trail tells you everything you want to know about the Lib Dems.

I sincerely hope that Sir Vince Cable has not watched the BBC4 programme Brexit: Behind Closed Doors when Verhofstadt and his flunkies said, and showed, exactly the contempt they hold for the UK and Theresa May.

For an English (British) leader of a political party to associate himself so closely with someone who openly shares his plans for a United Europe and all that it entails (Lisbon Treaty imminent to which we must abide if we stay in the EU), I find it undemocratic to say the least and, clearly, it does not respect the democratic vote taken in 2016.

It would appear Sir Vince Cable and his party have no belief in our wonderful pioneering country and what its people can achieve together. We don’t need or want to be told our priorities by unelected bureaucrats.

Liberal Democrats, please change your name to represent what you stand for – Liberal Undemocrats.

From: Ian Smith, Colston Close, Bradford.

RESPECT for MPs throughout my seven decades has diminished. Mine has lessened for quite a few, including Ken Clarke, Vince Cable, even David Blunkett now. The latter came to mind on reading his contribution (The Yorkshire Post, May 11) in which he says “I do not intend to re-run the debate or the points I’ve made over recent months”.

Then he appears to do exactly that by inference, and continues the arguments for remaining in the EU, although writing it in a fashion that he hopes will demonstrate neutrality.

Sorry Lord Blunkett, but for me, the pretences don’t hold water any more.

I still have great respect for Iain Duncan Smith, Nigel Evans, Harriet Harman, John Mann, John Woodcock and Kate Hoey, whom I reckon would make a good front bench of intelligent, knowledgeable, level-headed, common sense leaders, to be trusted with what I always will respect – the democracy that I’ve known and mostly loved.

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

IS it only me that thinks the UK is a little hypocritical in trying to introduce democracy in other countries such as Iraq, North Korea and China when we don’t follow those principles?

The country quite clearly voted to leave the EU in a so- called democratic vote in 2016, and yet we are still not able to implement that decision. Surely we should get our own house in order before trying to impose our views on others?

From: Brian H Sheridan, Lodge Moor, Sheffield.

DAI Woosnam’s letter praising the thrilling exploits of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur promised to be an advert for the great but much-maligned sport of professional football.

However, he managed to turn it into a sneer at Europe and a ludicrous argument for Brexit: a clear own-goal (“British spirit”, The Yorkshire Post, May 11).

One might just as fancifully argue that the fact that both clubs’ success was achieved with foreign coaches (German in the case of Liverpool) and teams made up largely of foreigners, including Europeans, suggests that Britain cannot “go it alone with Brexit.”

From: Neil Richardson, Kirkheaton.

SENIOR Shadow Ministers in the Labour Party (The Yorkshire Post, May 11) insist the country’s real divide is not over Brexit but between normal workers and the wealthy. In that case, ignoring other possible issues, on which side of the dividing line do Ministers sit?

Steam is not pollution

From: Phil Moon, Listers Court, Ilkley.

I READ with great interest Alan George’s comment on pollution at Ferrybridge Power Station (The Yorkshire Post, May 11).

I have assumed that the power station stacks he saw at Ferrybridge were the cooling towers and again I have assumed the pollution he quoted was the steam issuing from these?

Why do individuals constantly assume that the cooling towers are emitting pollution? I assume that these pictures look so dramatic where, in truth, cooling towers do not in any way produce pollution – only steam which somewhere will fall as rain.

Cooling towers are there to cool the condenser cooling water and do not pollute.

Jam tomorrow – and today

From: ME Wright, Harrogate.

BOB Watson gives us yet another reminder of how public transport in the Leeds/Bradford conurbation is set to remain in the diesel doldrums (The Yorkshire Post, May 11).

The tram networks of Sheffield, Manchester and Nottingham have all seen additional lines opened in the last year. Leeds/Bradford remains a seemingly mindless talking shop, with uncertain jam in a far-off tomorrow.

The more sinister jams, with their logistical and atmospheric pollution, are set to be eased with yet more of that which has increasingly failed us over the last 60 years.